There are many typical uses for fluorescent lighting fixtures, such as for retail stores, warehouses, commercial buildings and other uses possessing relatively high ceilings and linearly extending display aisles. Fluorescent lighting fixtures have been highly successful due to their linearly extending bulbs emitting an amount of output of light.
These linearly extending fluorescent lighting fixtures typically include one or more light source lamps with a solid reflector utilized to direct the light in a downward direction. This reflector is normally a concave half cylindrical shape. These prior art reflectors are made of reflective substances such as polished aluminum to enhance the efficiency of the fixture. The lamps supply direct light and light reflected off the reflector in a downward direction.
A great quantity of light is supplied by these prior art fluorescent fixtures directly to a display area below.
The drawbacks to using these linearly extending fluorescent light fixtures include the diminishing lumen output in the display areas not immediately below each linearly extending fluorescent light fixture. For example, while a four foot long fixture will efficiently light a display area below it, there is a greatly diminished lighting of the portion of the display areas not immediately below each fluorescent light fixture. In essence, the areas between the fluorescent light fixtures are in shadows.
Fluorescent lamped fixtures have typically utilized long longitudinally extending cylindrical lamps, which are mounted at or slightly below the ceiling level, parallel to the floor surface. These prior art fluorescent lamp fixtures are usually one (1) to four (4) tubes of four foot to eight foot lengths per fixture. The fluorescent lamped fixtures illuminate a rectangular area immediately below. The draw back with the prior art fluorescent fixtures is that in order to avoid the aforementioned shadow areas of diminished lighting, a large quantity closely placed of lamp fixtures is required, to minimize unlit display areas. The large quantities of fluorescent fixtures significantly increases the initial installation costs. Therefore, the traditional fluorescent lamp lacks the intensity needed for large spacing between lamps at high mounting levels.